Randy Nelson formerly of Monroe City is in the Army National Guard with the 1140th MP Company out of Fulton. He and his wife, Sharon (Farrington) Nelson, a 1974 Atlanta High School graduate, learned of his deployment to Afghanistan in the fall of 2008. He left home on April 18, 2009 and left for Afghanistan on June 10, 2009. He is to be coming home sometime in April.
Randy gave his wife an extrodinary gift for Christmas 2008 when he learned of his lengthy deployment. Randy wrote "I love you" on 365 strips of paper, placed them in a box, and wrapped it and presented it to her on Christmas 2008.
Sharon wrote a poem about the special gift she received from her soldier. The poem was published in the Friday, Feb. 12 Macon Chronicle-Herald.
